Laboring in the Grenadiers: Vestal and Arrow

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This trip had been in the back of my mind since the first time I saw Vestal and Arrow from the summit of Sunlight in 07′. These peaks are just spectacular from afar, and they reside in the heart of an equally spectacular wilderness area in the Weminuche. I always knew I would head in to climb them at some point, I just didn’t know when the opportunity would arise. Well with early September generally lending to good weather windows in Colorado, and the potential for four consecutive days off work, Labor Day weekend seemed like a good time to make this trip happen. Keep reading…

The Gore Range Grand Traverse

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For our second trip into the Gore Range in as many weekends, Brian and I decided on tackling the traverse between North Traverse (13,041′) and Grand Traverse (13,079′) peaks. This classic ridge, better known as The Grand Traverse, lies at the head of the Vail Valley, and marks the dividing line between Eagle and Summit Counties. I lived in Vail for thirteen years growing up, and my Dad still resides there, so needless to say I have gazed up at these peaks many, many times. I was excited to finally check them out up close. Read more…

Closing Out Ski Season on Grizzly

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It’s just a fact of nature that no matter how much snow we get over the winter, summer will eventually run its course and the snow will disappear. I personally love and welcome this transition, as by this time of year I typically lose the motivation to shoulder a 35 lb pack of ski gear and hike for miles on dry ground to ski a thousand feet of marginal summer snow. Keep reading…

Three Peaks, Three Lines in the Grays Group

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With spring winding down and summer on the doorstep, it seems that any time now rock climbing and hiking should start to take priority over skiing. But this season has featured some incredible snow totals and it’s hard to not continue taking advantage of it. Brian expressed interest in hitting something close to Denver with good bang for the buck, so naturally it didn’t take long for the classic snow routes on Grays and Torreys to enter the conversation. Keep reading…